Filed under: Your Home, Living Room, Projects, Furniture
How to choose art? Rule one: Don't be impulsive. You may end up with a piece that is way too big -- or way too small.We know you love that family portrait where everyone finally looks perfect. And, of course, you want to put it up front and center for everyone to see. But that feature wall or large expanse above your sofa may not be the best spot if it's a stand-alone 8 x10 framed photograph.
Photo: Smiley Eyes Photography
To get the right balance with your wall displays, you need three assorted sizes at a minimum, says interior designer Meredith Heron. "At the very least [you should have] small, medium and large-sized pictures," she says. You also want to keep the weight of each frame in mind, varying those in the same way.
Once you've got your collection in order, start with a large anchor piece in the center, rather than working from right to left or vice versa, Heron suggests.
As for scale, "The Golden Mean is the 1/3, 2/3 rule," Heron says. That means your grouping should take up no more than two-thirds of the available wall space. "It can still go from corner to corner, but you need to leave enough room around each picture to total 1/3 of the overall space," she says. Don't go dusting off the calculator either, Heron promises that the ratio is easy enough to eyeball.
Her trick for perfect picture galleries? Laying the grouping out on the floor first and making any tweaks to the shape there. You can also trace the pictures out of craft paper and then hang them on the wall. When all else fails, hire a professional picture hanger, which will cost you between $45-$75 per hour, depending on the installation.
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